Science Talk – World Cancer Research Day: How International Collaboration Can Help the Global Cancer Research Community
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Image: ICR researchers and their collaborators, including group leader Dr. Navita Somaiah, at the launch of a joint clinical trial and student exchange event in India. Credit: ICR.
Despite the many challenges posed by Covid-19 over the past two years, ICR is committed to advancing research around the world and making exciting progress in cancer research, including the launch of new international collaborations. have continued their efforts.
Center for Global Oncology – One Year After Launch
Last year, The Center for Global Oncology, a research center that aims to improve links with the global research community by connecting ICR scientists with international research centers, especially those from low- and middle-income countries. was launched.
We hope that international collaboration will continue to develop innovative approaches to global cancer research, reduce inequalities and improve access to treatment around the world.
International cooperation is now being further strengthened in India, with programs still in early stages of development in Nepal and other low- and middle-income countries. In addition, the center seeks to foster cooperation with high-income countries to advance global understanding of cancer and promote mutual cooperation between various institutions.
Angraj Sadanandam, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Global Oncology and Leader of ICR’s Systems and Precision Cancer Medicine Team, said:
ICR helps scientists in low- and middle-income countries build research infrastructure, co-publish scientific papers, and importantly, provides funding where possible. This will allow us to study cancer disparities on a global scale and give patients in these countries hope for access to life-saving treatments. We plan to expand the team to include more Royal Marsden clinicians by the end of the year. ”
New study on the immune status of breast cancer in India
An example of international collaboration is a study led by Dr. Sadhanandam and his research team in collaboration with clinicians and researchers in Bangalore, India. This study used artificial intelligence and machine learning to explore and compare the immune status of Indian and Western triple-negative breast cancer. Translational Oncology journal.
Triple-negative breast cancer is a complex disease with high recurrence and mortality rates worldwide, but is still largely understudied. In low-middle-income countries such as India, where the incidence is twice that of the United Kingdom.Current treatments in India are based on Western clinical guidelines, but there is no evidence of their use in Indian patients. Dr. Sadanandam’s team is the first of its kind to be conducted in India.
This study provides evidence that immune gene expression in these two different populations is largely similar, Western immunotherapy and immune-related therapies may also be adopted in India. However, there may be differences at the genetic (DNA-based) or genomic level that researchers are currently investigating, and region-specific individualized treatments may warrant further consideration.
These findings are Ultimately, it will accelerate the use of these treatments for Indian patients. Dr. Sadanandam added:
“Global oncology is currently a hot topic. I began to untangle the puzzle and come up with some answers about how similar they were in order to guide appropriate treatment for these patients.
“The good news is that, at least from an immunotherapy perspective, triple-negative patients in India can continue to use current therapies without worry.”
First joint clinical trial of ICR in India
Earlier this year, ICR initiated Phase II of India’s first collaborative clinical radiotherapy trial, the KORTUC trial.
We recently spoke with Dr. Navita Somaiah, Principal Investigator of this trial and Team Leader of ICR’s Radiation Oncology and Imaging Division, after visiting her counterpart in India for the formal start of the trial. I was.
This ICR-sponsored clinical trial is testing hydrogen peroxide as a readily available and cost-effective radiosensitizer in locally advanced breast cancer. If successful, it could be a game changer not only for breast cancer patients, but also for patients with other diseases. type of cancer.
Dr Somaiah revealed that the trial is being conducted in six centers in the UK and is now being launched in multiple centers across India. Two Indian patients have already been recruited at Tata Medical Center in Kolkata, and the investigator plans a further two years of recruitment followed by his two-year study. Dr. Somaiah said:
“It is a great first step for ICR to take on the sponsorship role and responsibility for conducting trials millions of miles away in low- and middle-income countries with very different governance structures and clinical trial regulations. It took years of hard work, but I am very proud to have been approved.
“With our expertise in how to navigate the requirements of future global exams beyond Europe, we expect other exams to set a precedent to follow. We look forward to sharing our expertise in advanced imaging protocols with other international research centers to improve their research capabilities.”
student exchange programs in india
Dr. Somaiah also initiated a student exchange program during his visit. This aims to encourage his A-level students in India to take up medical and scientific research by sponsoring two students who spend up to two weeks at ICR and Royal Marsden.
She shared with us how she came up with this idea and her current plans.
“In India, it is common for young people to have the desire to become a doctor, but rarely combine this with a career in science. We talked about an outreach program where students would come to the clinic, and things have moved very quickly since then.
“The head of the alumni association at St. Xaviers College, Kolkata recently came to the UK to work out the logistics of the program. We are planning to enroll students from next summer and hope that this will continue next year.”
UK Fellowship with a Nepalese Oncologist
ICR has been leading similar exchange programs for several years. Professor Ros Eeles, Head of the Tumor Genetics Team at ICR and Clinical Oncology and Tumor Genetics Consultant at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, has been leading the UK-Nepal exchange program since 2017. This program has improved the delivery of oncology services in Nepal.
Coordinating various international studies and recognized for major contributions to the field of prostate cancer research, Professor Eeles is the ICR and The Royal Marsden.
So far, 4 Nepalese oncologists, 2 radiation oncologists and 2 medical oncologists, have participated in the program. Although funding for the scheme has ended, Professor Eires and her team continue research collaboration with Nepalese experts at Guri Hospital in Kathmandu. :
“With the support and close collaboration between Prof. Ros, myself and the Department of Oncology, oncology trainees from Nepal were able to visit Royal Marsden and ICR to learn new skills and knowledge related to clinical and research activities. I believe that if this continues, the standard of cancer care in Nepal will improve.”
Professor Eeles talks about the impact these fellowships have had and her desire to do more:
“Cancer is a global problem. By working with international colleagues, we can learn from each other to improve care for cancer patients. It included a positive learning process, they came to us to learn more about the research methodology, but we also learned about the cancer situation in Nepal and the challenges they face regarding patient care. I learned more about
“This wonderful fellowship would not have been possible without the British Nepal Medical Trust (BNMT), a non-governmental organization with centers in both the UK and Nepal. We would like to fund more training fellowships in , so we are asking for grant applications and support to do so.”
Cancer is a global problem that defies borders, claiming lives in every corner of the globe. But sadly, some countries have far worse survival rates for those diagnosed with cancer than others. It is important to increase research collaborations to develop better diagnostic tools and treatments that save lives and are suitable for use in a variety of clinical settings around the world.
At ICR, we hope to expand our multi-country collaboration across continents to improve the global understanding of cancer and facilitate access to innovative treatments for those most in need. Ultimately, this may help reduce cancer treatment inequalities in groups that have historically been underrepresented in research.
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